Little Criminals

“A Minnesota middle school student, with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, is suing her school district over a search of her Facebook and e-mail accounts by school employees.

The 12-year-old sixth grade student, identified in court documents only as R.S., was on two occasions punished for statements she made on her Facebook account, and was also pressured to divulge her password to school officials, the complaint states.

“R.S. was intimidated, frightened, humiliated and sobbing while she was detained in the small school room” as she watched a counselor, a deputy, and another school employee pore over her private communications.”

I think this little lady doesn’t know how lightly she got off. Student arrests seem increasingly common to me these days, even for things like pranks or “big-talk” that would have previously merited nothing more than a suspension. I am so concerned about the phenomenon that I no longer feel it is sufficient to advise people that they should NEVER talk to the police without the advice of counsel. Now, it is my recommendation that parents instruct their children not to talk to teachers or staff about any non-academic matter without contacting the parent first. Failure to follow this recommendation can lead to assault charges in the event of a school-yard scrap, sexual harassment charges for a wayward comment, or a sex offender label for both juvenile participants in a consensual sexual act. This is particularly important advice for minorities. So long as the public school system continues to resort to the public legal system for matters it should tend to in house, your children are at risk of falling victim to unrestrained bureaucrats in a ravenous bureaucracy. Make sure they’re prepared.